Pippa took another deep breath and gazed around. She and Hero were in a cavern, an enormous cavern, with tunnels branching off in every direction. The air was filled with the smell of smoke and stone and, her favorite, the familiar smell of . . . horses.
A small group of horses, similar to the horse drawing their chariot-boat, with crimson coats and yellow-gold manes, drank from a bubbling pool of lava only a short distance away.
Other horses, these ones shining like they were wearing armor, grazed beneath metal trees hung with lustrous pearls and sparkling garnets. Beside them, Tazo was nosing a giant gem.
“Tazo!” He was there too, safe! He was okay. How had he gotten through the tunnel? He must have flown. Hearing her cry, he looked up and trotted over, his wings glittering in the jewels’ light.
None of the other horses had wings except one, a creature that stood apart from the others near the center of the cavern, where a circular area was fenced off with boulders. It looked like a place to train and exercise the horses. The creature had the front of a horse, but the back feet and legs of a rooster, and an arching spray of red and orange feathers for a tail.
High above, crystals lit the cavern with a sparkling glow. And on one side, half-hidden in shadow, Pippa could just make out open stalls carved into the rock.
Her attention was brought back by a sharp whinny. The fire horse did not seem to like Tazo, who was approaching.
“Tazo, no!” said Pippa, clambering out, half falling, Hero behind her.
But that was the wrong thing to do! The chariot-boat jostled as she stumbled out of it. The fire horse turned its head and whinnied—letting out a burst of fire. The flame shot toward Pippa.
“Stamata!” A cry cut through the cavern, sharp as a whip.
The horse froze at once, as if the cry were a bucket of water drenching its fury. Even the flames of its mane seemed to die down to a smolder.
Heart still pounding, Pippa looked up to face a woman striding toward them. She could only tell it was a woman because of her auburn hair, coarse as a horse’s tail, that fell all the way to the ground. Otherwise, she was dressed as a man, in a short tunic. Her face was narrow and long, with wide nostrils, and her eyes were as round and glossy as a foal’s. Around her neck hung a coin, the same size and sheen as Pippa’s.
Was this . . . Could this be . . . her mother?
The woman began to speak, but her voice was a series of snorts and clicks. Pippa didn’t know what to say. Before she had to say anything though, the woman coughed. “My apologies. Sometimes I forget the language of humans. I am Melanippe, groom of these stables. Although you may call me Euippe.”
Of course.
Melanippe. The fire stables. They had made it.
Fourteen
Euippe untied the fire horse from the chariot. The horse tossed its head, its mane spitting and crackling, then trotted off to join the other fire steeds nearby. “He does not like swimming in the lava, but it was the only way to save you. You are lucky I heard your shouts in time. Sliding down these tunnels . . .” She clicked her tongue. “Only mortals would be so foolhardy. Who are you?”
“I am Pippa and this is . . .”
“Hero, of the family of Hercules.”
“Ah,” Euippe’s nostrils flared even wider. “You look familiar.”
Hero puffed up, but only for a moment, because Euippe’s gaze wasn’t focused on him but on Pippa.
“I was in the race,” said Pippa. “The Winged Horse Race.”
This didn’t seem to satisfy Euippe, but she tossed her head and continued, “Welcome to the fire stables. Your horse will be safe here. I assume you have been sent by Zeus.”
“How . . . How did you . . . ?”
Melanippe shrugged off Hero’s question. “Although I do not care much for the gods, I do care for the horses, and I am happy to help you. Helios’s winged steeds used to stable here, but the night of the storm, they disappeared. We must bring the winged horses back.”
“You know why we’ve come?” asked Pippa. “Did Zeus send you a message?”
Euippe shook her head, giving a little grunt. “Zeus sent me no message, but I know.” She looked at Tazo and clicked her tongue. Then turned back to them. “You are here to train your colt, yes? But enough questions. Come. Out of that boat. Tazo is hungry, as I am sure you are too. I can set up his stall after we eat.”
As Euippe led them down one of the many tunnels, which were lit by orange crystals, Hero whispered to Pippa, “We didn’t tell her Tazo’s name.”
“We didn’t tell her anything!” Pippa whispered back. “She spoke with Tazo. She must have.”
“Impossible,” huffed Hero under his breath.
“Anything is possible,” Pippa replied. After all, they’d just seen a fire-breathing horse, hadn’t they?
She glanced at Euippe with wonderment—and envy. To be able to actually speak with the horses—she would do anything to have that ability. Although a horse could tell her a lot of things, if she watched it properly. The tiny movements of its ears and eyes, its little whinnies and nickers. Pippa knew that language. So maybe she wasn’t so different from the groom?
The room Euippe led them to reminded Pippa of the tack room in the winged horse stables—at first. Bridles and saddlecloths hung from hooks along the walls, and there were buckets and barrels of food. However, the halters were plated with gold and the saddlecloths made with silver thread. Instead of oats and apples filling the buckets, there were plump pomegranates and even a barrel of olive oil. Was that for the metal horses? Singed stalks of fennel hung from the ceiling.
In the center of the cave, a small table was set up. There, Euippe served Tazo a bucket of barley mash. Then she ladled some into bowls for herself, Pippa, and Hero. Pippa took a few mouthfuls to ease her growling stomach, but Hero didn’t touch his. Pippa couldn’t blame him. Even though she had eaten such food before, when she had no home, now she was used to the plump olives, fresh bread, and fish that Helena served.
“What do the fire horses eat?” Pippa asked.
Euippe frowned as if annoyed to be interrupted during her meal. “The same as most, with the addition of flames and meat.”
“And the metal horses?”
“The metal horses—automatons—do not eat at all. Your questions tell me you are finished. I shall show you to your beds and Tazo to his stall.”
Pippa did not like to be separated from Tazo, but she trusted Euippe because he did, and she followed her once more, this time to a set of small caves with hammocks hung between huge crystals.
“We will begin training in the morning,” said Euippe.
“Do you think . . . Do you think he will really fly?” asked Pippa.
Euippe laughed. “Of course he will. He has flown already.”
“You mean down from the tunnel?” asked Pippa.
Euippe gave a short nod. “There he glided, but he has flown already in the wild. Whether he will fly with a rider is another question.”
Tazo had flown in the wild? Pippa could hardly believe it. But Euippe didn’t say anything else. She strode down the hall, leading Tazo, her hair trailing after her. So much for asking Euippe questions. She was clearly not much of a talker.
Unlike Hero. He lingered in the hallway, even when Euippe was gone. He was a mess. Dirt and ash covered his face and cloak, and his hair was matted with sweat. Pippa imagined she looked the same.
“Do you think she can really speak with horses?” he asked. “Do you think she will help us?”
“Yes,” said Pippa.
“We’ll have to ask her more questions tomorrow. I can do it. I think she didn’t like the questions you asked, but I know how to ask questions.”
“You are good at talking,” said Pippa.
Hero didn’t take the hint. “I don’t think Hercules ever visited the fire stables. My father, he won’t believe that I’m here.” Hero was still talking, even as he headed across to his room. “Pippa?”
“Yes?”
“Good night.”
Pippa rolled her eyes. “Good night, Hero,” she said with a smile.
Surprisingly, it was a good night. Despite the swaying bed and her swirling mind, Pippa slept deeply and dreamlessly.
She might have continued to sleep had someone not shaken her awake.
“Hero,” she grumbled, reluctantly opening her eyes.
But it wasn’t Hero. And it wasn’t Euippe either.
Pippa’s eyes went wide in wonderment. “Sophia!” she gasped. She barely recognized the young woman in front of her, with her hair piled on her head and her lips shimmering in olive-oil mixed with beeswax.
Two years had passed, but Sophia looked much older, as though she had purposefully aged herself—which was possible, considering she was now a demigoddess. Her fingers were ink-stained, evidence she must have been reading manuscripts or writing them. Pippa could barely read, much less write. No one had ever taught her. Sophia, on the other hand, had been raised like a boy by her father and taught by scholars.
“Pippa!” Sophia exclaimed. “I heard from Euippe you were here. I wasn’t sure if it really was you, but . . . oh, Pippa, how glad I am to see you!”
Sophia threw her arms around her, and Pippa almost toppled out of the hammock.
“What are you doing here?” both girls burst out at the same time, then laughed.
Sophia explained first. “Athena assigned me a task. I am writing a scroll.”
“A scroll?” exclaimed Pippa, climbing out of the hammock.
“Yes, on the horses of Olympus,” said Sophia proudly. “I’m focusing mostly on winged horses, but I’m including sections on the fire-breathing steeds and the automatons. Did you know that not all of them are immortal? Only some of the winged horses are. Like the Amenoi, the gods of the four winds. I was about to visit them, when Poseidon attacked. Now I dare not go anywhere. Euippe says it’s not safe. Not until peace is restored between the gods and goddesses. But I don’t know how that will happen, not with all the horses gone. Not to mention the gods and goddesses missing.”
“That’s why I’m here,” said Pippa, quickly explaining everything—including that Tazo was Zeph’s colt.
Sophia’s eyes went wide.
“I’ve never heard of such a creature—part winged and part earthly horse. I’ll have to include him in my writing! And Zeus is hoping to ride him?”
“Yes,” said Pippa. “But he needs to be trained. That’s why we’re here, to get Euippe’s help.”
“If anyone can help, it’s her,” said Sophia. She lowered her voice as she confided, “Euippe wasn’t always a human. For a while, she was transformed into a horse by Zeus, as punishment. Zeus eventually transformed her back and made her groom of these stables. She isn’t allowed to leave.”
“A horse?!” exclaimed Pippa. Now it made sense why she looked so much like one, and why Zeus had been slightly hesitant to recommend her.
Sophia nodded. “You should hear her curse Zeus. I’ve met lots of gods and goddesses, and Euippe is the only one who truly doesn’t care what others think. Even Athena acknowledges that Euippe’s the best at what she does. If someone challenged her to a contest of wits, she wouldn’t be able to refuse. But Euippe cares only about the horses.”
“Why was she cursed?” asked Pippa.
“I don’t know. I’ve tried to ask her, but she won’t say. She’s not very talkative,” sighed Sophia.
“I’ve noticed,” said Pippa. “That’s certainly not Hero’s problem,” she added in a grumble.
“Hero?”
“The boy who’s with me. He says he’s the descendant of Hercules, but I’m not sure. He says a lot of things that I don’t think are true. Remember what you said once, that boys have the wits of a squid? I think this one would be better off as a squid!”
Sophia laughed.
Pippa heard a noise behind her. She turned to see Hero in the doorway, a deep frown on his face.
“Hero?” said Pippa, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks. “This is my friend Sophia.”
He didn’t reply, only nodded.
“Why . . . why are you here?” Pippa asked.
“Euippe called us to the training paddock.”
“I can take us,” said Sophia.
But Hero turned away. “I will find it myself. I have a very good sense of direction. It sounds like you two have lots you want to talk about.”
Pippa watched him walk away. She shouldn’t feel badly . . . he was so annoying!
Still, she whispered to Sophia, “How much do you think he heard?”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Sophia. “There are more important things to think about. Like the horses.” She took Pippa’s hand. “Oh, Pippa, I’m so glad you’re here.”
Pippa smiled.
Despite everything that was going wrong, it felt right to be on Mount Olympus with a friend, about to train a winged horse.
Fifteen
As they made their way to the cavern, Sophia continued to talk, but Pippa’s thoughts drifted to Hero. It’s not my fault he’s here. He followed me to begin with.
But when they reached their destination, the first thing she did was look for him. He wasn’t there. Her stomach twisted.
“Don’t worry,” said Sophia, reading her mind. “There’s more than one way to get here. Besides, it’s the biggest cave of all. It’s easy to find.”
The cavern was even more enormous than Pippa remembered, and hot too. Bubbles rose and popped in the pool of lava. Nearby, the fire horses were licking some rocks and the metal horses clanged as they played and galloped. In the ring in the center stood the strange half horse half rooster.
“He’s a hippalektryon,” said Sophia. “The hippalektryons were bred to be used in battle, but they weren’t good at running or flying. So the breeding stopped. Now there are only a few left. Everyone views them as monsters—but actually, they’re very gentle. He’s the only creature at the fire stables that can fly now. Yet he’s never left the caves, at least not as long as I’ve been here. Euippe says that he can’t fly well enough.”
Sophia pointed up. Pippa could just make out a sliver of light slipping through the rock ceiling, right above the pool of lava.
“There’s the tunnel that leads to the surface,” said Sophia.
“I know,” said Pippa, with a shudder.
“It’s for the most experienced winged steeds only. Helios’s horses would leave from it every morning. Pippa, you should have seen them. Their wings were made of fire feathers.”
“Fire feathers?”
“Feathers that can’t be burned, not even by the sun. On the morning Poseidon took over the throne, they departed as usual but didn’t come back. Euippe went to find out why, even though she’s not supposed to leave, and when she returned, she was shaken. She said Cyclopes had taken over the entrance cavern. . . .”
“They have,” said Pippa, shuddering again.
“Euippe said that a battle had taken place between all the gods and goddesses and that the winged horses have been captured.”
“But where are they? Do you think she knows?”
Sophia shrugged, then shook her head. “I doubt it. She loves horses as much as you, Pippa. Euippe would do anything to bring them back.”
Just as Sophia said her name, Euippe entered the cave, a bag slung over one shoulder. She was leading Tazo.
The colt looked wonderful. His coat was brushed and shiny, his mane and tail braided. Even his wings seemed glossier. Tazo pranced forward proudly.
“Paue,” commanded Euippe. Tazo stopped immediately. “Do you know the training commands?” Euippe asked Pippa.
“No, but I have this.” She pulled out Bellerophon’s whistle from around her neck.
“Ah.” Euippe examined it. “A powerful tool. Though only good for calling horses. Not for the subtler commands. Paue, stop. Petesthe, fly up. Basko, speed away. You will need those to practice flying.”
“You think he’s ready?” asked Pippa.
Sophia scribbled notes on a piece of parchment she’d drawn from her chiton.
“Although he has not learned to take a halter, he has been taught to be led,” continued Euippe. “He can move according to direction, and that is enough for now. He is curious and interested in others. It is much easier to train a horse that doesn’t already have a negative view of mortals . . . or gods.” Euippe sniffed. “Before introducing Tazo to a saddlecloth and bridle, however, there is something else that needs to be done.” She glanced around. “Where’s the boy? Is he coming?”
“He’s supposed to be,” said Pippa.
Euippe snorted. “No matter. I need only one of you for the first part, anyway. An important part of winged horse training. All too often the grooms on Mount Olympus do not take the time to show adult horses flying with riders to the winged foals. Yet, by doing so, a foal is introduced to the concept of using its wings. Ideally, we would have other winged horses here for you or me to ride, for Tazo to be gentled. But we only have the hippalektryon Pecklion. He will have to do.”
“You’re going to ride the hippalektryon?” asked Pippa, surprised.
“No,” said Euippe. “You are.”
Now Pippa was even more surprised!
So was Sophia. “Has he ever flown with a rider? I haven’t seen him do so.”
“Of course he has,” said Euippe. She turned to Pippa. “Come.”
Pippa didn’t hesitate. As surprised as she may have been, she was also excited. She hadn’t ridden a winged creature since the race, before she and Zeph were banished.
Her hands shook as they made their way to the corner where Pecklion was scrabbling at the earth with one clawed foot.
Once she was close to him, she could see that he was large—larger than Tazo, easily as big as a full-grown winged horse. Unlike a winged horse, feathers didn’t just cover his wings but some of his body. They were a mix of orange, red, and gold, like they had caught the colors of a sunset. His front legs had hooves while his back legs were scaly, with claws that were the color of clay.
The Colt of the Clouds Page 7